Joni Mäki leads Lauri Lepistö 56 points before the final race

Lauri Lepistö led the overall Finnish Cup skiing competition by four points before Friday ‘s free ten in Rovaniemi, but the man softened to 13th place in the Arctic Circle.

Joni Mäki was Iivo Niskasen winning second in the race, so he climbed to the Cup pole position.

The difference between the two is now 56 points in favor of the Olympic silver medalist.

– I know that Lauri will definitely ski the traditional fifties on Sunday. You have to ski yourself if you win the Cup. If the back doesn’t go all the way to Saturday in the message, then I will ski, Mäki, who had had back problems since the beginning of the week, comments.

Even if sprinter Mäki doesn’t compete on Sunday, he is very close to winning the Cup. The resting place should be holy among the three in order for him to get ahead of the Hill in total points.

This does not seem very likely, as in principle at least Niskanen, Ristomatti Hakola and Markus Vuorela are above.

Saturday is the main day

Even last Sunday in Ruka, after a free 30 kilometers, Mäki seemed to be on the ropes.

– The weeks are not quite the same in the spring, Mäki said.

Friday’s performance was reasonable. Of course, Niskanen, who was crushing at home, got a pass in part of the trip, but Mäki’s 30-second difference to the champion was a completely different way to go than Ruka’s skis could have expected.

– Keli was on his side when it came quickly. But it was no pleasure. A long workpiece to the top and then the strap had to be kept tight. With my back straight undeniably, I came to some of the descents, he noted and pointed to the difficult downhill of the track.

Mäki says that Saturday is personally the main day of the Finnish Championship weekend.

– There’s an attempt to give it all.

The men ski a 4×10 mile post. Mäki’s Pyhäjärvi Pohti Ski Team has been looking for coveted Finnish Championship gold for a few years now, but the champion manager Kauko Tikkanen the boys are left without the brightest. Pyhäjärvi has never won the men’s long message championship gold.

– I have to try to plot something. For the championship, one should dig a rabbit hat when there are two such tough teams ahead.

The teams are Niskanen Puijon Hiihtoseura (last season’s champion) and Hakola Jämin Jänne (2019 champion). In 2020, there was no competition for the corona.